


One Last Plan

by BadSleepingHabits



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: F/F, Near To No Angst, Spin the Bottle, They're all friends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-14
Updated: 2018-05-14
Packaged: 2019-05-06 05:32:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,960
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14635119
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BadSleepingHabits/pseuds/BadSleepingHabits
Summary: Lexa was left breathless, when she saw Clarke uncertainly enter the rink. She looked like an angel, slowly, too slowly, gliding on the ice towards her on shaky legs, like a vision, with her blonde hair shining in the sunlight, and her blue eyes so bright and sharp that she could have died just by looking into them. The angel came to a stop in front of her, and suddenly Lexa couldn't think.She just stared, enraptured."Hi." the angel whispered.orRaven and her gf Karen want to play matchmaker and set their friends up together, not realising that they only needed some time and the rigth advice.





	One Last Plan

**Author's Note:**

> So, this one shot is a present for my friend Karen, whose birthday is today!  
> Happy Birthday, Kae!
> 
> All mistakes are mine! Enjoy!
> 
> Jason: Welsh Springer Spaniel / German Shepherd  
> Finn: Grey Tabby Cat (Tabby Cat is not a breed, just the coat coloring)

    _I_

   The apartment wasn't too small, but it wasn't big either. Let's just say it was enough for Clarke and Finn. Finn being... her cat. Finnigan was his complete name. He seemed to like it.

   Clarke had already moved all her stuff and had spent her first week holed up in the new place, and both she and Finn had showed no sign of wanting to leave the apartment. Clarke wasn't a cat, though. She wasn't happy with being left alone, she wasn't the type to appreciate the silence of the night. It suffocated her. It made her feel even more alone.

   It was a normal day of October. Her birthday, to be exact. And she was going to spend it... with Finn. Meaning, alone. Oh, joy.

   With a sigh, she got her favorite ice cream (in October, yes) and a single cupcake. She put a single candle on the cupcake, and lightened it under the watchful eyes of her grey tabby cat, that was sitting on the table next to her.

   "I suppose I should wish for something, shouldn't I?" she asked to no one in particular.

   Finn rubbed his head against her arm and just stared at her, his tail slowly moving from one side to the other. His yellow eyes scanned her face in search of something, and when he was satisfied, the furry animal stretched his paws and resumed his staring.

   Clarke took it as a yes. "Alright."

   The girl observed the small flame dancing lonely on top of the cupcake. There were so many things she wanted, she wished to have, but the most important was easy to pick.

   "I wish to never spend another birthday alone.

***

   "Jason! Jason stop for fuck's sake!"

   The white and brown pup ignored her warning completely. Even more so, he took it as a play-call, and crouched, waggling his tail frantically and waiting for the woman to try and catch him.

   "Absolutely not! Hey!"

   The dog jumped sideways and resumed his position, teasing her.

   "Alright." Lexa said. "You brought this on yourself."

   Then, without a warning, she began chasing him around the apartment, laughing when he jumped on the couch only to jump back on the floor like a mad dog. In the end, they ended up rolling on the carpet, playfully fighting, happy grumbles mixing with the girl's laugh. Then the door opened and her roommate stepped in with a smirk.

   "Hey, lazy ass."

   "Hello to you too, Karen."

   "I see you've been busy."

   Lexa shrugged, still laying on the carpet with Jason. "What can I say, being a pet-trainer, I get lots of free time for myself." she smirked at the other girl, that just huffed and shook her head.

   "Whatever you say." she answered with a grin. "Raven's coming over tonight. Behave."

   The woman groaned, rolling on herself until she was cuddling with her dog, that licked her cheek affectionately. "I wanted to go to bed early."

   "Then do it." Karen said, happily. "We won't be offended."

   Lexa turned her head to glare at her friend. "I can't sleep with you two being yourselves just a room away from me."

   "Hey! What are you saying?" the girl asked with tight lips.

   "You know what I'm saying!" Lexa got on her knees, throwing her a shit eating smile. "You're loud as fuck!"

***

   "Hey mom." Clarke forced a smile, looking at her phone.

   Her mother's face appeared in the screen with the widest smile, followed by Markus', and both started waving their hands at her. Clarke could see the outline of a green island behind the couple, and all around it, the bluest, most perfect water, calm and inviting. She hid her need to cry with a small wave.

   " _Clarke! Happy birthday!_ " they both said.

   "Hey... Thanks!" she tried to sound cheery, but her smile didn't reach her eyes. "How is your holiday going?"

   And with that, her birthday got forgotten and the two started gushing about the Caribbeans. She did her best to smile throughout it and when finally they closed the call, she let her head fall on the table and took the deepest sigh of her life. She felt a gentle nudge on the back of her head and smiled, for real this time. She raised her head a bit and a warm, scratchy tongue tickled the tip of her nose.

   "Alright, I know what you're trying to tell me." she said to the cat, that just licked her cheek once before rubbing his head against it with a purr. "You get awfully sweet when you're hungry."

   Almost like it was fate, they had ran out of Finn's food. Among other things. She looked out of the window and she saw it was raining. Obviously.

   With a sigh, Clarke put on her jacket and her knee-high boots, and grabbed wallet and keys. She left a kiss on the top of Finn's furry little head and walked out of her apartment. The moment she turned to head down the stairs, she collided against something warm and solid. They both let out a shriek.

   "Oh my God! I'm sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going." Clarke said apologetically, reaching out to steady the brunette she had bumped into.

   The girl, that was wearing a brace on her left leg, faltered on her feet for a few seconds, then regained her balance and threw her a glare. "Yeah, I figured." then sighed and relaxed her shoulders. "But it's ok, no worries."

   "Ok, then..." the blonde turned towards the stairs. "Well, I'm heading out, so..."

   "Oh! So you're the new neighbor?"

   Clarke smiled, nodding slightly. "Hum, yeah, that's me. You live here too?"

   The brunette shook her head. "No, my girlfriend does. Oh, I'm Raven by the way." she stretched out a hand and the blonde shaked it.

   "Clarke."

***

   Lexa was chilling on the couch, cuddling Jason and watching TV while she waited for Raven to arrive and destroy the quietness of the apartment. She had met Raven through her roommate, Karen. She liked to pretend that she didn't like her, but in reality she approved of the girl, she was just the right match for her friend. If only she could have been a little less... loud.

   Speaking of loud, she could hear said girl talking just outside the door. She didn't recognized the other voice, but she was mildly sure it was a woman.

   "Karen, your very loud girlfriend is here." she yelled from the couch.

   A second later, Raven was closing the door behind herself with an incredulous expression. She stared at Lexa for a second, then blurted out: "What's wrong with you?"

   Lexa's eyebrows shot up. "Excuse me?"

   Raven was about to answer when Karen entered the room. "Woah, babe? What did you do to your hair?"

   Karen rolled her eyes and stepped into the brunette's arms, giving her a welcome kiss. They separated when they heard Lexa faking to gag, and chuckled. "I dyed it today. 'Dark Mahogany Violet'. You like it?"

   Raven smirked, ignoring Lexa's fake gag. "Babe, wait until tonight and I'll show you just how much."

   "Ok I'm out of here." Lexa said suddenly, getting off the couch.

   Karen started laughing, still in Raven's arms, and shook her head. "Come on, you two, behave."

   Lexa fell back on the couch with a huff, and crossed her arms on her chest. "Fine, but stop being so gross. It's disturbing me."

   "Stop being a grumpy child, Lex." her roommate countered with a chuckle, before leaving a kiss on her girlfriend lips and walking in the kitchen to get a few beers.

   Raven watched her walk away for a few seconds, then snapped out of it and turned toward the brunette sitting on the couch. "What's _wrong_ with you?"

   Lexa snorted, petting Jason's head that rested on her legs. "What's wrong with _you_?"

   "Girls! Behave!" Karen's voice reached them from the other room.

   Raven rolled her eyes and went to sit on the couch on the other side of the dog, gently scratching his light brown ears. "Seriously though. I thought you could sniff a hot chick out from miles away. What happened to your gay ass?"

   The other girls just blinked, staring at her with a confused expression. "What are you talking about?"

   "Duh. The new neighbor?" Raven widened her eyes, as if trying to send her some weird signal.

   The brunette just shook her head. "We have a new neighbor?"

   "Yes, come on! Hot, blonde, blue eyes, killer cleavage? Ring any bells? She literally lives next door!"

   "I know who you're talking about!" Karen's voice reached them from the kitchen, and a second later the girl was sitting in Raven's lap, passing the beers to both girls and keeping a glass of wine for herself. "I saw her a week ago, she was moving all her stuff in. But I don't think she got out of the apartment since then."

   "Well, that explains why the gay hound here didn't notice her." the latina muttered, sipping from her beer. "Well, whatc'ya going to do 'bout it?" she asked, playing with a lock of her girlfriend's newly dyed hair.

   Lexa just took a sip from her own beer, throwing her an unimpressed glance and raising an eyebrow. "What makes you think that I'd want to do anything about it?"

   Raven smirked devilishly, wiggling her eyebrows. "Trust me, once you get a close look at that girl, you _will_."

 

_II_

   She hated to admit that Raven was right, but damn if she was this time.

   Without saying anything to her until it was all already settled, Karen and Raven, 'The Two Bitches', as she liked to call them, had arranged a small gathering. Small gathering meaning, the three of them... and Clarke. Not that she had anything against it. She wasn't an antisocial person, she liked her space and privacy, but she was ok with having people around as well. So yeah, besides the fact that she was 100% sure that Raven had invited the girl over just to prove her point, she was cool with it.

   What she wasn't cool with, however, was _how right_ Raven had been.

***

   Clarke wasn't nervous. Weird enough, she was actually pretty cool about the fact that she had been invited next door for dinner.

   It was two days after her birthday. She was exhausted after a long shift at the clinic (she had finally started her new job) and honestly, she was happy to spend some time with other people outside of work. It was refreshing.

   After feeding Finn so that he wouldn't start mewling an hour after she had left, she kissed his forehead, accepted his scratchy kiss on the cheek, and left him to relax on the couch while she was out.

   She didn't expect, however, to be greeted by a bored looking, absolutely stunning, walking wonder in ripped jeans and tight black shirt. The girl's skin was tanned and smooth, her long curly hair looked all too perfect for the humid weather, and her dazzling green eyes made her want to die. Clarke realized that she was staring and blinked, trying to get out of it, not noticing that the other girl was staring right back, her hand frozen on the door jamb and her expression no longer bored.

   "Ehm... Hi, I'm Clarke."

   "Lexa."

   They managed to shake each other's hands without swooning, and the brunette stepped out of her way to allow her to enter the apartment, trying with all her might _not_ to stare. Damn, she was gay.

   Clarke let out a squeal she was absolutely not proud of when a small ball of fur assaulted her, desperately trying to get her attention. As soon as she realized it was a puppy, though, she kneeled on the floor and greeted him, gently petting his head with a wide smile. In the corner of her eye, she saw Lexa smile and shake her head, looking at the dog with love.

   "What's his name?" Clarke asked, giggling when the puppy jumped up, trying to lick her face.

   Lexa chuckled, kneeling beside her, and petted him. "This little guy is Jason." she said, and fuck if her voice didn't make her swoon.

   "He's beautiful."

   Before the other girl could say anything else, Raven and another girl with long hair and tanned skin came out of the kitchen, smiling at each other. The two got up from the floor and Clarke was greeted with a wide smile from the girl.

   "Hi, I'm Karen."

   "The girlfriend." Raven added, with a smirk.

   "Oh, yeah, sure. I'm Clarke." they shook hands and the blonde added: "Thanks for having me over, by the way."

   The two girls waved their hands at her, and the two of them went to sit in the living room while Karen and Raven finished to cook dinner. The little pup jumped on the couch between the two girls and settled down, immediately starting to lick the top of his paws.

   The blonde noticed immediately a bracelet, that ran around the brunette's small wrist, and there was a phrase written in a language she didn't recognise. Curious, she pointed at the bracelet with a finger and asked: "What does it say? If you don't mind me asking."

   The woman turned her wrist to look at the bracelet, smiling softly. " _Hindi pa tapos ang laban ko_ " she said. "It means 'My fight is not over'." she shrugged, still smiling. "It's something my mom used to tell me when I felt like I couldn't do something."

   Clarke nodded, chewing on her lip. "Mmm... What language is that?"

   "Tagalog." Clarke just stared at her with a blank expression, making her chuckle. "Filipino."

   "Oh!"

   "Yeah, I was born there."

   The blonde smiled, her eyebrows arched in surprise. "Wow! I've never been there, but I heard it's beautiful."

   Lexa nodded, her eyes shining. "It really is. Karen and I, we wanted to study in a college here in the USA so we moved, but we make sure to go visit at least once a year."

   Clarke hummed appreciatively, scratching Jason's brown ear, much to his pleasure.

   She had a feeling this dinner was going to be great.

***

   "I saw Lexa staring at Clarke, she's totally into her." Karen said in a quiet whisper while drying a plate and putting it back in its place, checking behind herself to make sure the two couldn't hear her.

   Raven passed her another plate and smirked. "I told you so."

   During the dinner, everything had gone according to plan. Clarke was very nice and they all had a good time, and Karen was happy to have gained a new friend. Then Raven had said that they were going to wash the dishes and had dragged her girlfriend in the kitchen to do some plotting.

   "So, what's the next move?" the latina asked, using a small towel to dry her wet hands.

   Karen smiled to herself, already knowing what was going through the girl's mind. "Move?"

   Raven nodded towards the other room, where the two girls were laughing at something funny Jason was doing.

   "About them." she said with an exited glint in her eyes. "They would be such a cute couple. Almost as cute as us."

   "Mm-mm." she sneaked an arm around Raven's neck with a smile. "Let me guess, you already have something in mind?"

   The brunette smirked devilishly, raising an eyebrow. "I always do. But first," she paused long enough to plant a chaste kiss on her girlfriend’s lips. "first, we need to do some digging."

 

   The digging wasn't going too well. They were desperately trying to find out (discreetly) if Clarke was into girls, but damn it if they found one hint of that.

   "Yeah, so after I found out he already had a girlfriend, I dumped him and moved back to campus."

   "Well, what an asshole." Lexa said, after Clarke finished her story about her last boyfriend.

   The blonde shrugged. "I wasn't really in love with him anyway, but it did feel awful. On the positive side, though, I didn't have anything to distract me and graduated with awesome grades, so really he basically did me a favor."

   "Lexa, it's your turn to get beers. Move your ass." Raven blurted out suddenly, staring at her empty bottle as if it had personally hurt her.

   Karen shook her head slightly, stroking the brunette's hair while the other girl huffed and got up to get the beverage. "So, what did you graduate in?" she asked, genuinely curious, taking a sip from her glass of wine.

   The blonde smiled, scratching Jason's furry head. "Veterinary science."

   "Oh! So you're a vet?" Karen smiled, nudging her girlfriend with her elbow. "That's amazing."

   "Scratch that." Raven said, jumping up in a seated position. "Are you into girls?"

   Fuck discretion, right?

   "Uh... well yes." Clarke answered after a second of confusion. "I'm bi, but what-"

   "Beers are finished!" Lexa suddenly yelled from the kitchen, startling them. After a few moments she got back in the living room with a bottle of apple juice. "Guess it'll have to do."

 

   "Alright, it was amazing having you over, Clarke." Karen said with a genuine smile, hugging her briefly. "I expect to see a lot more of you."

   She smiled back at the girl, making her way towards the door. "Of course. I had a great time."

   "Bye Clarke!" Raven shouted from the kitchen, while Lexa shyly waved at her from the couch.

   Less than a minute later, Clarke was back in her apartment. Finn immediately jumped off the couch and went to rub himself against her ankles, purring sweetly. She crouched and picked him up, hugging him and kissing his nose. The cat licked her chin in response and rubbed his head in the crook of her neck.

   Slumping on the couch, the tabby cat still comfortably resting against her chest, she sighed, feeling content. The last few months of her life had been hard on her, and she had started to feel tired of the days before they would even start. The people she thought were her friends got tired of her continuous studying during college. The boy she was with had been cheating on her throughout their relationship, her mother had just gotten married with Marcus, five years after her father's death. She didn't want to worry the woman, so she always pretended to be ok in front of her, but the truth was, she wasn't.

   Now, though. Now it felt like she was at the end of the tunnel. She could see the light, she was finally getting out. Tonight was the proof of that, she felt lighter and happier, and even if she was tired, it was the good kind of tired.

   That night, she went to sleep with a smile on her face, Finn's fluffy fur tickling her nose.

***

   "So?"

   "So?"

   "Oh, come on! Lexa!" Raven groaned, laying on the couch with her sore leg held up. "Just admit that I was right."

   "No."

   "Please."

   "No."

   "Fine, I know you like her anyway."

   The other girl huffed, crossing her arms on her chest. "Karen, could you please tell your girlfriend to stop being a pain in my ass?"

   "Well, Lexa." the girl started, gently massaging the latina's leg to alleviate her soreness. "She's right. You _were_ staring pretty hard."

   "I wasn't!?" she asked, horrified.

   "Oh, you were."

   "Shit." she cursed, bring a hand to cover her mouth, her eyes wide. "Do you think she noticed?"

   Her friends just stared at her, their eyes clearly saying that yes, she had noticed.

   "Ugh, fuck me."

   "You wish."

***

   Later that night, cuddled up against her girlfriend and safe under the covers, Raven had an idea. It was one of those bugging thoughts that just won't let you be. It was there, and it was bothering her, keeping her awake.

   "Karen." she whispered.

   "Hmm."

   "Babe? Are you awake?"

   The other girl sighed deeply, shifting on the bed to look her in the eyes. "I sure am now." she said with a smile.

   Raven didn't waste any time, and said: "I have an idea. Will you help me?"

   "Will things blow up?"

   The brunette chuckled, shaking her head. "No. I want to set them up together."

   Karen raised an eyebrow, giving her a dubious look. "Clarke and Lexa?"

   "Mm-mm."

   Another sigh. "I'm not saying I'm opposed to that... I just don't want Lexa to get hurt. She's been my best friend since first grade. What if this plan backfires?"

   Raven turned more fully towards her, carefully avoiding to put weight on her left leg, and hooked a strand of dark hair behind her girlfriend's ear. "We can't know if it will backfire or not, we only know that Lexa's attracted to her, but her gay ass is too gay to do something about it. She'd probably die if she tried to ask her out. Die of gayness."

   That made Karen chuckle, bringing a smile on her lips. After a few seconds of deliberation, the girl nodded against the pillow and looked at her girlfriend. "I'm in. What's the plan?"

   Raven smirked. " _That's_ the girl I love."

 

    _III - Set up attempt number 1: The Wing-dog_

   K - _Clarkey, when do you get off work?_

   C - _Around 6 pm, if my colleague is on time. Why?_

   K - _Wanna come watch a movie after? The 4 of us like last time? If ur not too tired?_

   C - _Sure. There better be food. Have to go now, see u later._

   Karen was going to put away her phone when another text lit up the screen.

   C - _I'll be there at 8, need to go give Finn some loving first :) bye._

   The brunette stared at the screen for a long moment, her eyebrows furrowed. Who the fuck was Finn?

 

   Raven was pretty satisfied with the results.

   For her plan to work, Jason had to look the part. So she had taken him for a walk while Lexa was at work. Well, the dog walked, until they reached the park. Then, he went crazy (to her immense joy) and started running and playing with other puppies. Raven sat on a bench nearby to make sure he didn't get into trouble, ready to step in if things got out of control, but it looked like all the dogs at the park were super nice today. Thank God, she wasn't sure her leg would have standed it, if she started running after the puppy. After almost two hours of running, and playing, and playfully fighting, and all those things that puppy dogs like to do, finally, Jason was tired. So tired he just went to lay down next to Raven's feet and panted, looking around with a satisfied expression.

   Once the two had gotten back to the apartment, she had whipped out a box of serviettes and had rubbed him everywhere, so that he didn't look like he had been out of the house. Then she checked the time (12,45) and had fed him. Right after eating, he had collapsed in his bed and started snoring.

   When Karen got back home she had told Raven everything about the texts she had exchanged with Clarke, and they had decided to dig about this Finn guy that same night, when she was going to come over for the movie. Even better, Raven thought, if the plan worked she wouldn't have had any time to go see him at all. If everything went according to plan, obviously.

   When finally Lexa got home at 5:30, Jason forced his tired body to get up and clumsily run to greet her, waggling his tail. He was visibly tired though, and the woman noticed immediately and dropped her bag on the floor, kneeling in front of the dog to look him in his light brown eyes.

   "Hey, Little J. What's going on?" she cooed in a sweet voice, unsuspecting of the two pairs of eyes that were watching her from the kitchen.

   Jason liked her chin once, then sat on the floor still waggling his tail but at a slower rhythm.

   "Guys!"

   Raven and Karen got out of their hiding place as if they didn't know she had been home, and had to hold back a smile at the over protective woman still kneeling on the floor.

   "What happened? Did you bring him out to run?"

   Raven snorted, patting the brace on her left leg. "Do I look like a good running buddy to you?"

   "And I was at work, got back half an hour ago."

   Lexa shook her head, still concentrated on the puppy. "But he looks so tired...?"

   "Yeah..." Karen chimed in, holding back a laugh. "He looks like he might pass out."

   "What!?" The brunette grabbed Jason's face and stared him in the eyes, checking for any signs of illnesses. "You really think so?"

   "Yes, Lexa." Raven stepped closer, patting his head with a sad and overly worried expression. "He doesn't look good, you know? We tried to feed him but he didn't want to eat." she lied.

   By now, Lexa was practically panicking and looked like she didn't know what to do. Jason kept looking at her waggling his tail, his tongue hanging out of his mouth, panting slightly. After a few more seconds, the woman had made up her mind and was quickly gathering up her stuff. She put Jason's collar around his neck, and grabbed his harness and leash. Once he was settled, she looked at him, unsure.

   "Do I carry him, or do you think he can walk?" she asked her two friends, biting her bottom lip.

   "Carry him!" Raven said immediately, discretely checking the time. 5:37. "And for the love of God, don't take the car! He might suffer and throw up!"

   Lexa nodded, already sweating bullets and carefully picked him up. Karen opened the door for her and the brunette took off muttering sweet reassurances to the puppy in her arms, kissing his head. The door closed behind her and the apartment fell silent.

   "We're going to hell for this." Karen said after a minute, looking guilty because of the totally uncalled worry her friend was feeling.

   Raven nodded slowly, seemingly agreeing with her, then she froze, smirked, and said: "Nah."

***

   By the time Lexa arrived at the clinic, walking with Jason almost asleep in her arms, the clock signed 5;56. She entered and noticed that it was almost empty, only three other people were waiting for their appointments. She was going to talk with the girl at the reception when she heard a familiar voice nearby that surprised her.

   "...yeah, and so I said: 'ma'am, I can't make your dog stop producing saliva, it's normal.'' Clarke said smiling.

   Beside her, a guy with black, curly hair and white gloves was struggling not to laugh. "God, and then what did she say?" Bellamy asked, adjusting the glasses on his nose.

   The blonde chuckled, shaking her head. "That she wasn't going to let the dog drool all over her hundred dollars carpet." she said. "So I told her to give the dog to someone who would appreciate him and get a cat."

   The boy snorted. "I wish I was there to see her face."

   Jason chose that moment to open his eyes, finally noticing their presence, and started waggling his tail, letting out a small 'wof'. The two saw him and immediately went to greet him. Clarke's cheek became slightly red when she noticed her standing there, and the brunette couldn't do anything but stare.

   Lexa smiled briefly, trying to get herself out of the surprised/shy zone caused by the blonde's presence. "Hey."

   "Hi!" Bellamy exclaimed, rushing to pet Jason's small head. "What are you doing here?"

   Clarke looked at them with curious eyes while gently petting the dog still in the brunette's arms throwing her a small, shy smile.

   "I'm worried, he's not feeling well I think, Raven said he didn't want to eat and that he's been this tired all day even if he didn't do anything tiring..." she rambled, worried.

   Bellamy nodded, checking the watch around his wrist. "I have three appointments already, but as soon as I'm done with them I'll be with you, ok?"

   "Actually," Clarke suddenly chimed in. "I can just stay a bit longer and check on him, if you want?"

   "Really!" Lexa's eyes widened. "God, thanks, you're saving me."

   Five minutes later they were in a room, Clarke had pulled up her hair in a ponytail, and was quietly checking up Jason's little, furry body, while the puppy just waggled his tail.

   "He's a beautiful mix of breeds, you know?" the vet said suddenly, trying to distract the worried woman in front of her. "Haven't seen a lot like him."

   Lexa nodded with a hum, chewing on her fingernails while the other continued her analysis. "Yeah..." she muttered. "I didn't realise you were a vet."

   Clarke smiled. "Yeah, I've always wanted to be one. I can't imagine being anything else." Another minute passed and the she asked: "How do you know Bellamy?"

   Lexa shrugged, her eyes fixated on Jason. "He and his sister are good friends of Raven. They got Karen and I in their group, let's say it that way."

   The vet just nodded, checking the dogs eyes. After a few more minutes, she sighed and shook her head. "He's as healthy as a fish in the water." she said, scratching his head. "He's probably tired himself out somehow, like running around in the apartment or something."

   Lexa let out a breath she didn't know she was holding, relieved. "Are you sure?"

   Clarke nodded with a smile. "Positive. He's completely fine."

   "Thank God... and thank you, Clarke." she said, sincerely. "I was so worried."

   The girl brushed her off with a wave of her hand. "You're welcome. Now, do you need a ride home? I'm heading out now."

***

   L - _J is fine, he's just tired. Clarke is driving us we're on our way._

   Karen smile to herself, poking Raven's shoulder to show her the message.

   The latina couldn't hold back a fist pump, smiling widely. "I'm a freaking genius!" she sung, looking ridiculously smug.

   Karen rolled her eyes, kissing her cheek. "Don't get over your head, babe."

   Raven snorted, and before she could answer, her girlfriend's phone buzzed again with another message.

   L - _We're stopping to get Finn._

   "What the fuck?" Raven blurted out. "Jesus Christ, I can't believe their bringing over a fifth wheel."

***

   The ride home went smoothly enough.

   Well sure, Lexa's gay ass could only ramble and do her best not to stare at the blonde, since her friends had told her that she had noticed it the previous time. As for Clarke, concentrating on the street ahead had never been so difficult.

   When they got to their building, she had opened the door to her apartment to get Finn. Lexa had been so sweet to tell her to bring him over so that he wouldn't be alone, and assuring her that Jason was very cat-friendly.

   To say that Jason was happy to meet Finn would have been an understatement. He was overjoyed. The moment he saw the grey tabby cat jumping off the couch to go greet Clarke, he had let out a very un-dog-style squeal and had rushed to sniff him all over. The cat had stiffened at first, then, after a few moments of attentive examination, he had decided that the dog was actually ok, and had liked his nose once, gently. Jason was crazily happy.

   Weird enough - at least in Clarke and Lexa's eyes - Raven was overjoyed as well to discover that Finn was a one year-old cat and not a boy. She grabbed him and kissed his head, shocking him with the sudden affection from a stranger, causing him to rush towards Clarke in search of protection. After eating dinner they all fell on the couch to watch a movie, that Raven had already chosen.

   It was a horror. Because, obviously it was.

   Jason was sleeping next to Lexa, his head on her lap, Finn was curled up on Clarke's legs, and Karen was cuddling with her girlfriend. Fifteen minutes into the movie, and Clarke was hiding her face with her hands. Jason was right between her and Lexa, so she couldn't get to her for comfort, but her easily scared nature didn't go unnoticed by Raven's attentive eyes. Since the wing-dog plan had given good results (the two had talked and gone home together, plus the discovery of Finn's feline identity), the girl decide the it was time for a new plan.

   An horrific plan.

 

    _IV - Set up attempt number 2: The loveseats_

   Weeks passed and the two got closer.

   Lexa was amazed by Clarke's personality, she was so smart and caring, and gentle, and simply so lovable. She had lost count of how many times she had spent hours talking to her on the phone, or in her apartment letting Jason play with Finn. She knew she was falling, but she didn't know what to do. She always became so clumsy when it came to the blonde, babbling nonsense and sharing details about her life. She had felt a wave of pride surge in her chest when the blue-eyed girl had told her that she found her job as an animal trainer very interesting.

   Clarke wasn't faring much better. Lexa made her feel so comfortable that she had shared with her the entire story of her family. How Jake, her father, had died four years before, messing her up to the point that she had lost all her friends. How her mother had slowly moved on, finding new happiness with Marcus, without realising that she was leaving her own daughter behind. Lexa had comforted her, with kind words and her gentle eyes, and Clarke had melted into a puddle of raging bisexuality. She was smitten, but she was too scared to do anything about it.

   None of them expected what happened when they agreed to go to the movies with their friends. None of them had expected their friends to _do something_ about it.

   It was already bad enough the fact that it felt so much like a double date. Raven and Karen had convinced them that this new movie was absolutely a must see, even if they didn't want to tell them what it was about. Something was fishy, but neither wanted to pass up the opportunity to go to the movies together... even if it felt like a double date.

   "We're getting the tickets, you get the popcorn." Raven ordered them, her arm around Karen's shoulders.

   "Be nice, babe." the latter said, nudging her with an elbow.

   "Pretty please."

   Clarke chuckled, smiling at the couple. "We'll be right back."

   She and Lexa made their way to the inside bar and stopped in the line. The brunette had her hands in her jeans' pockets, to prevent herself from doing something stupid like, take the blonde's hand while they walked. That would have been embarrassing. And she would have probably died. This infatuation for Clarke was becoming ridiculous, and there were times when Lexa felt like she was on the verge of blurting out her feelings. But she couldn't do that, it was too soon...

   "So, did you find out what movie we're watching yet?" she asked, trying to distract herself from her thoughts.

   Clarke smiled, but shook her head, raising a hand to hook a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. "They refused to tell me, Karen said it was a surprise."

   "Hum... is it me, or something suspicious is happening right under our noses?" Lexa asked with a charming smirk.

   Clarke blushed in front of her, stuttering. "I... I, yeah you're right. Something's weird with them."

   Five minutes later they were finally heading to their seats, chatting happily with their friends... until the other two stopped. In front of two loveseats.

   Raven was smirking so widely it looked like her face was about to split, while Karen had a smug smile on her face.

   "What?" the girl asked them, cuddling up in the first loveseat with Raven. "These were cheaper."

   "Just sit." the Latina added, still smirking. "No one forces you two to cuddle if you don't want to..."

   The two girls blushed furiously, avoiding to look at each other.

   Clarke's mind had short circuited at those words. The idea of cuddling up to Lexa was scary on so many levels, but at the same time it was a good idea. An amazing idea. Her blush deepened when she felt the weight of the brunette falling in the seat, so close to her that their thighs were touching. They both were fidgeting, trying to find a comfortable position without cuddling. Which was harder than they thought.

   After a few minutes of fidgeting, Lexa stilled and sighed, defeated. She fiddled with her own fingers for a while, awkwardly biting her bottom lip, then she cleared her throat and nudged Clarke's shoulder to get her attention.

   "Popcorn?"

    _20 minutes later_

   While Raven and Karen were cuddling, Clarke was doing her best not to scream at the umpteenth jump scare of the damn movie. Of course those two had chosen an horror. Because why not, right? Clarke is just scared shitless.

   She was trying _so hard_ not to jump in Lexa's lap and hide her head in her shoulder, but she knew it wouldn't be long before she gave in. The brunette wasn't scared _at all_ , actually she was laughing, eating popcorn and commenting quietly every single inaccurate thing of the movie. Too bad Clarke wasn't listening because she was too busy trying to maintain a semblance of dignity.

   She finally lost it when suddenly the crazy maniac appeared in the screen shouting profanities and effectively cutting a woman's arm. Clarke squealed and covered her eyes with a hand while the other squeezed Lexa's one, that was midway to get another handful of popcorn. The blonde took a moment to long to realize what she was doing, only when she felt the brunette stiffen she finally understood, and her heart jumped in her throat. She was holding Lexa's hand... in a cinema. SWEET JESUS SHE WAS HOLDING LEXA'S HAND.

   She felt the girl shift and a second later her warm breath was against her neck, causing goosebumps to appear all the way down to her elbow.

   "Are you alright, Clarke?" she asked in a whisper.

   She shook her head, trying to remember how to breathe and, admittedly how to talk. Damn, her scent was good... ok, focus. "Hum... I... yeah, no, I'm..." she took a deep breath, her free hand still covering her eyes. "I don't like horror movies."

   The woman stayed silent for a couple second, seemingly uncertain, then she heard her gulp and say: "Do you... do you, maybe, want to...? You know...?"

   She made a weird gesture with her hand, her wild blush almost invisible in the dark room. Clarke blinked blushing furiously all the way down to her chest when she understood what the gesture meant. She nodded, muttering a shy "Thank you." and shifted a bit closer.

   They both were unsure about what to do next, they had just agreed to cuddle, but what now?

   Luckily for them, another scary moment made Clarke jump, and she instinctively hid her face in the crook of the brunette's neck, clutching her arm. The action scared Lexa - it was ridiculous, an horror movie didn't scare her one bit, but a pretty girl so near to her made her stiff like a board -. She held her breath, feverishly thinking about what to do now. In the end, she slipped the arm our of the blonde's grasp and put it around her shoulder. She prayed whatever God existed that she couldn't hear the sound of her heart, that was hammering again her ribcage as if it was trying to escape. She cursed her clammy hands when Clarke reached out to her free one, squeezing it almost painfully.

   She had to admit, though, after she relaxed a bit, that it wasn't half bad. She smiled to herself when she Clarke pressed harder against her everytime something scared her. She was in a cinema, sitting in a loveseat, cuddling with the woman she was desperately crushing on, and the movie was only half an hour in. Her smile widened incredibly. She had at the very least another hour before the film ended. Another hour of a very scared Clarke pressed tightly against her.

   Lexa mentally patted herself on the shoulder, slightly tightening her arm around Clarke, shoving another handful of popcorn in her mouth. Damn she was one lucky gay.

 

   Karen pocked her girlfriend's side, pointing then a finger towards their two friends. She had to quickly put a hand on Raven's mouth when she almost shrieked in joy. The two were _cuddling_. Damn, their plan had worked and they were all cuddled up in the loveseat.

   Raven threw her an evil smirk, and Karen frowned. It turned into a smirk when she saw her girlfriend pull her phone out of her pocket and open the camera. She waited patiently for a lighter scene to snap a picture of the two. It was clear Lexa's wild blush and Clarke's hand clutching her shirt.

   Karen held back a giggle when she showed her the pic, covering her mouth with a hand. "We gotta keep this for when they finally get together." she said. "So we'll be able to say that we knew all along."

   "I _like_ the way you think, babe." Raven murmured in her ear, before starting to leave feather like kisses on her cheek and neck, making her giggle.

   "Raaaveen, the movie." she scolded her, half heartedly, playfully swatting her shoulder.

   "Who cares, this movie is shit anyway." she mumbled, still kissing her along her jawline.

   "Hmm, that's true." a sudden scream made her jump, startling Raven, who started giggling hysterically.

   "God, you should have seen your face!" the girl said between giggles. "You look so cute when you're scared."

   "Asshole." Karen whispered with a small smile, cuddling up against the brunette's body. "Don't make fun of me."

   "Aww, sorry babe." Raven murmured in her ear, the teasing smirk clear in her voice. "Come here, now, we gotta give them a run for their money, before they actually become cuter than us."

   The younger girl snorted, getting comfortable in her girlfriend's arms. "There's no way that would ever happen."

 

   Clarke could hear Lexa's heartbeat under her ear, and she smiled. It was fast, like really fast. Glancing upwards, she saw the girl swallow, a blush barely visible on her cheeks.

   The blonde sighed, not moving from her position. Once she had gotten over the embarrassment, she had discovered a whole new level of comfort. The woman was warm and solid next to her, unflinching despite all the screams and horrendous noises coming from the movie, and Clarke felt good. Safe. She couldn't remember being so comfortable...

   A sudden stab of insecurity made her breath hitch. Lexa noticed, but she thought it was because of the movie and just tightened her arm around her shoulder, without saying anything. Clarke breathed deeply, trying to shove that insecurity in the back of her mind. It wasn't typical of her to be so uncertain about her feelings, but she couldn't help it this time. She was falling, hard and fast, and she felt so out of control that it scared her to no end. She didn't know if Lexa was just being a good friend or if she felt something for her too, but she was too terrified at the idea of a rejection to try and do something about it.

   She knew, it would have hurt too much.

 

    _V - Set up attempt number 3: Spin The Bottle_

   Much to Raven and Karen displeasure, the loveseat plan didn't end as well as they had hoped.

   Yes, the two had cuddled. Yes, they had blushed and stuttered and all those things teenagers did when their crush was near. _But_ , Clarke had gotten out of the cinema with a stiff posture and a weirdly dull smile, and it wasn't the movie's fault. When they tried to ask Lexa, she had swore on her own head that she had been a gentlewoman, and that she had no idea what had happened to the girl. Karen talked to her, trying to get something out of her with her sweet smile, but she wouldn't budge. Lexa asked her if she had made her uncomfortable and she had said no. Raven tried to talk to her as well, but didn't get any results.

   After a few days, she was back to normal and told them that she had just been tired that day.

   No one believed it.

 

   It was January now, and in a moment of cheerfulness, Karen convinced their whole group of friends to reunite for an evening in her and Lexa's apartment. They all agreed, obviously. Free food and drinks, who were they to dare and refuse?

   So that's how they all found themselves in the small apartment, eating pizza in front of the TV. Bellamy, Karen and Raven were on the couch, Lincoln was on the armchair with Octavia in his lap, and Murphy, Lexa and Clarke were on the floor. They had put down a bunch of pillows to make it a bit more comfortable.

   "Jesus Christ, why are they so stupid?!" Octavia yelled at the screen from Lincoln's lap, waving a slice of pizza in the air. "You can't think that it was good idea to eat that shit! They literally just found it there, it could be poisoned!"

   "Shut up, O! Not everyone is as smart as me!" Raven countered, viciously biting her own pizza and getting sauce on her cheek. Karen noticed and giggled, wiping it away with a napkin and then kissing the now clean spot of skin.

   Everyone groaned, rolling their eyes.

   "I'm disgusted." Murphy said, not glancing up from his food.

   "Well said."

   Bellamy fist bumped him and the two girls started giggling, whispering things to themselves. They only stopped when a chorus of gagging noises filled the room.

   "Envy's a bitch, isn't it?!" Raven snapped, causing everyone to laugh.

   Clarke adjusted the box on her lap, then took another slice of pizza and bit down. On her left, Lexa appeared concentrated on the movie, and when she took a bite she didn't notice that Clarke was staring. The others did, though.

   After a few more minutes, Clarke said: "Ok, we got it, this movie is embarassing me, can we put on something decent now?"

   A chorus of "Yes!" and "Thank God!" raised from the group of friends and she got up from couch.

   "I know _exactly_ what to put on next!" Karen said in an exited voice, running to the shelf.

   She came back grinning like a bad cat and wiggling her eyebrows, waving a dvd in the air. Clarke squinted to read the title. It was an anime, and on the cover stood out a single word: Citrus. Honestly, she had no idea what it was about.

   The others clearly did, though, because suddenly Lexa and Murphy were yelling "YES!" while everyone else groaned and whined. Octavia hid her face in Lincoln's shoulder muttering: "Kill me now." while Bellamy slumped on the couch, huffing and saying: "Not again, please, anything but that."

   "Shut up!" Murphy punched his leg from the floor, already grinning. "It's only a quarter to nine, if we hurry we can watch it all before one am!"

   " _That's_ talking! Thank God for Murphy." Lexa exclaimed. When the others started to protest again, she raised a hand, shutting them down. "My TV, my rules. Let's watch it."

   Clarke chuckled from her spot next to her, shaking her head. She took another bite of pizza while Karen jumped back on the couch and started the first episode. She felt Lexa fidget excitedly, sharing a grin with Murphy, then turning towards her.

   "You totally have to see it, it's awesome!" she said cheerfully.

 

   Right after the first episode ended, Clarke was hooked. She, Lexa, Murphy and Karen were all staring at the tv, almost unblinking, drinking beer - or wine, in Karen's case - and excitedly following the story, gasping and laughing and holding their breaths at all the right moments. The others, instead, groaned and whined and criticised all the time, but their pleas of stopping the torture went ignored.

   "Oh my God! That bitch's blackmailing her!" Clarke gasped after a while, staring with disapproval at the pink-haired girl in the screen. "Just punch her in the face, come on!"

   "As if!" Octavia whined, still in Lincoln's lap. "That would actually make it interesting, so _of course_ she won't."

   Murphy sent her a glare and sipped his beer, turning towards the tv while Lexa smiled at Clarke, happy that she liked the show. It was one of her favourites, so obviously she was glad the blonde liked it.

   She jumped when Bellamy suddenly snorted and exclaimed: "Oh, guys seriously! She got a pic of you kissing her, so what? Who cares, tell her to go fuck herself and forget about it! You can't just go to a blind date with some pervert so that your sister doesn't find out! Jesus." the boy facepalmed, causing Raven's half-drunk ass to start giggling like an idiot.

   "That's what I say!" Lincoln exclaimed suddenly. "Plus, Matsuri's what? Thirteen? Mei could just kick her ass or steal her phone!"

   "Shut up, guys!" Karen silenced them. "She'll explain later."

   When they finally got to the last episode, they were all mostly drunk and Clarke was leaning against Lexa, staring at the screen with maximum concentration. When finally the two main characters kissed, agreeing to date each other, she squealed and almost tipped over her beer, startling Lexa.

   "Fucking finally!" she exclaimed, gulping down the rest of her beer.

   "Agreed!" everyone said.

   "Fucking finally it's over!" Octavia and Lincoln said in chorus, before bursting out laughing, too drunk to keep a straight face.

   "Alright guys!" Raven said, raising a hand and lifting her head from her girlfriend's lap. "It's barely one am, so let's stop with all this lesbian drama and let's play! Spin the bottle, Raven's rules, since I got the bottle."

   They were all so drunk that they agreed without even thinking about it. Jason and Finn were the only sober members of the group. The dog was sleeping peacefully in his bed, occasionally opening his eyes to check on them, with Finn comfortably cuddled up against him. Clarke chuckled, glancing at them briefly, then turned towards her friends, already sitting in a circle with the bottle in the middle. She was again next to Lexa, with Bellamy on her left side.

   Raven spinned the bottle and it landed on Lincoln. The woman grinned and the man sighed.

   "Lincoln... You have to... give a lap dance." she said.

   Lincoln looked horrified, but he still spinned the bottle to see who his victim was going to be. It landed on Bellamy.

   Lexa was never going to forget that day. Seeing a man like Lincoln give someone a lap dance was already traumatizing for an hardcore gay like her, but see him do it to his girlfriend's brother was a whole new level. She needed bleach to erase that image from her mind.

   Finally, Lincoln went back to sit, red and embarrassed - not as red as Bellamy - and thought about the dare for a second. "You have to braid their hair with your eyes closed."

   Bellamy spinned the bottle and it landed on Karen. He went to work, but his drunk ass couldn't make a braid to save his life, let alone do it while drunk and blindfolded. Poor Karen had to suffer for five minutes, until the others told the boy to just give up and she breathed a sigh of relief.

   "You have to... carry them around the house jumping on one foot!" he exclaimed, smiling evily. "Ha! This is for making us watch that damn anime again."

   Luckily for Karen, the bottle landed on Clarke. It could have been Lincoln. There was no way in hell she'd manage that. Even though, jumping on one foot with the woman on her back proved to be an impossible task, especially since they were all drunk. Then she tried with both feet and managed to carry her around until they both started laughing and fell on the floor.

   "Allright, allright." the girl said, wiping the tears from her eyes, still giggling. "So Clarke, you have to..." she stopped when Raven leaned in to whisper something in her ear. "Oh! You have to kiss L... ehm, _them_ , for at least a minute."

   Clarke scoffed. "Ha! Allright." she spinned the bottle.

   Right when the bottle was about to stop, Raven suddenly gasped and pointed towards Jason and Finn, yelling: "OH MY GOD LOOK!" the others turned immediately, worried, and she quickly fixed the bottle so that it pointed directly at Lexa.

   "What?!" they asked confused when they saw the two animals happily asleep, not even bothered by the noise.

   The latina shrugged, looking perfectly calm and innocent. "Nothing, they looked cute."

   The other groaned, then everyone's eyes fell on the bottle. Clarke and Lexa gasped.

   They're minds were fogged up by the alcohol, but not enough to forget about their feelings for each other. Only problem was, they didn't know what the other felt. Clarke was only mildly panicking, the thought of kissing Lexa causing her heart to beat so fast that she was scared it would jump out of her chest and run away. Her hands were suddenly clammy and slightly shaking, and she could feel her cheeks on fire. If she had looked up, she would have seen that the brunette wasn't faring much better. She was paralysed, both scared and excited, blushing profusely all the way down her neck.

   When the others started cheering them on, the two turned to each other, locking eyes. It was like they suddenly fell under a spell, unable to look away. It was like the rest of the world had disappeared, only they remained, alone in the middle of nothing. With a shaky exhale of breath, Lexa slowly lifted her hand to cup the blonde's cheek, gently tugging her closer. Clarke's mind short-circuited and she could only try to suck in a breath before their lips touched.

   Everything stopped. Then the world started spinning and imploded, only to expand again to become a brighter, amazing version of itself. Their lips locked together like they were made for it. The hand on her cheek trembled, and all Clarke could do was whimper, pressing harder against those soft lips that tasted like heaven, and pray that that moment would never end. She could have lived in that single minute forever.

   But that's not how it works, and all too soon they had to separate to breathe, their lungs burning and pleading for oxygen.

   Panting, they stared into each other eyes. Green met blue, and it was like nothing else mattered. They looked at each other, and all they could think about was how desperately in love they were.

   Love.

   Shit.

 

    _VI - The last attempt: Romance Overload_

   "I swear to God, they're gonna drive me crazy." Raven muttered, falling on the couch next to her girlfriend.

   The girl looked at her with worried eyes. "What happened?"

   The latina sighed tiredly, rubbing her eyes. "I tried to convince Lexa and Clarke to go out one evening with us, but they both said no because 'it would feel like a double date' and they don't want things to get awkward."

   Karen snorted, her eyes fixated on the book she was reading. "Things _are_ awkward, already."

   Raven dropped her hands, slowly sliding on the couch until her head rested on her lap. She felt the girl's fingers gently caressing her forehead, brushing a strand of dark hair away from her eyes. "I almost wish we never got them to kiss. It seems like it ruined everything."

   They stayed silent for a few minutes, just thinking and enjoying each other's presence. Until Karen suddenly closed her book and looked her in the eyes. "What if we get them to accept their feelings, instead?"

   Raven raised an eyebrow. "What?"

   "We all know they're in love, right?" the brunette nodded. "So we just push them to admit it."

   "How?"

   "Next week is Valentine's Day."

   "Oh my God."

   "Romance overload"

   "Romance overload... could work."

   They both started grinning, looking at each other. "One last plan?" Karen murmured.

   Raven smiled widely. "One last plan."

***

   Clarke was sitting at the table, phone in hand, with her finger hovering on her mom's contact. She bit her lip, focusing on the small weight of Finn’s body on her lap. With a sigh, she gathered some courage and pressed the FaceTime button. After only a few seconds Abby's face appeared in the screen, smiling gently.

   " _Clarke, sweetie! How are you?_ "

   She tried to smile, only managing a grimace. "I'm fine mom. What about you?"

   The woman shook her head slightly, her smile slowly vanishing, being replaced by a worried expression. " _Uh-uh. I know that look._ "

   Clarke breathed out slowly, trying her best not to cry. "I... I met someone."

   She told her everything. Every single thing about Lexa that would come to her mind, from the most important stuff to the little details, until Abby almost felt like she already knew her. Clarke's feelings were clear as day.

   "I love her mom." she whispered, blinking back the tears.

   " _I know._ "

   "What do I do, now?" she asked with a small voice.

   " _Clarke, honey,_ " Abby said, her eyes soft and understanding. " _It seems like she might love you back. So, why don't you give it a try?_ "

   "Last time I lost someone I loved, I got so messed up that I lost everyone else." she murmured, unable to look to look the woman in the the eyes, thinking about how her father's death had affected the both of them. "What if Iose her somehow... and, and it happens again? That I push everyone away, and... end up alone?"

   " _Oh, Clarke._ " the girl looked up into her mother's loving eyes. "Y _ou have no way of knowing if that's ever gonna happen. You can't deprive yourself of something as beautiful as love just because you 'could' lose it._ "

   Clarke wiped the tears from her cheeks, nodding slightly, her lips tightly pressed together in a thin line.

   " _Clarke._ " their eyes met through the screen. " _You're not ending up alone until I breathe. So go and get her, honey. She'd be a fool to reject you._ "

   Clarke smiled, the first genuine smile in what felt like years. "Thanks, mom." she said. "I love you."

   " _I love you too, sweetie. Now go get your girl_."

***

   Lexa huffed, annoyed. It was Valentine's Day today, and she absolutely didn't want to spend it with her awfully loud group of friends in a damn ice skating rink. Especially since the only one of her friends that she _actually_ wanted to see, _didn't want to see her_. Damn it.

   Damn bottle. Damn game. Damn kiss. Damn everything.

   Her heart gave a painful squeeze at the thought of that brief, amazing minute. It had been weeks ago, but the memory was still fresh on her mind despite the alcohol that was running in her system at that time. The feeling of those soft, pink lips against her own, the smooth skin of her cheek under the palm of her hand, Clarke's intoxicating scent. She could almost feel it all again, if she concentrated hard enough.

   She kicked a pebble, sending it rolling in the street. With her eyes firmly planted on the pavement to avoid seeing all those cute, happy couples that appeared to be everywhere she looked, she walked towards the ice ring. She briefly contemplated the idea of going to get some hot chocolate at the bar on the other side of the street, right in front of the rink, but then she remembered that Clarke loved hot chocolate, and changed her mind. She couldn't think about that now.

   She glanced at the ice skating rink, noticing that her friends weren't there, yet. With an annoyed sigh, she decided to start without them.

   While skating, the only thing she could think about was Clarke. Even though she didn't want to, even though she tried with all her might _not to_ , the woman still managed to somehow occupy her mind, and take complete control of it. She couldn't stop thinking about her, she wondered what she had done wrong, what could have she done to fix things between them. Even if Clarke only wanted to be her friend, she would have accepted that.

   Of course, she wanted _so much more_. The force of her emotions was such that there were times she could barely breathe.

   She was in love with Clarke Griffin.

   And she had been rejected.

***

   Clarke made her way to the ice skating rink at a fast pace, her nerves causing her to tremble and her knees to threaten to give out.

   The talk with her mother had convinced her that she was being stupid. She was letting her fears and insecurities cloud her judgment, almost causing her to give up on something as precious and special and beautiful as love. She felt so guilty now. All those times she had flirted back with Lexa, when they cuddled up during movies or just spent afternoons together. She had given the other woman hope, just to take it all away. She wouldn't have been surprised if she didn't want to have anything to do with her anymore.

   With a shaky breath, she stopped in front of the rink.

   And there she was.

   Lexa was beautiful, skating on the white ice with grace. Her chestnut hair, let loose, reflected the sun creating a reddish aura all around her, making her look even more beautiful. She was moving on the ice like an ethereal creature, so perfect that for a moment, Clarke thought she was an illusion. Then the woman stopped, a few strands of hair, moved by the cold breeze, danced in front of her eyes, causing her to lift a hand to hook it behind her tiny ear. Somehow, she was even more beautiful that way.

   Clarke trembled again under her stare, and bit her lip. With a fire in her chest that she didn't know she had, she nodded to herself and looked up at her.

   She signed at Lexa to wait for her and got a pair of skates.

***

   Lexa was left breathless, when she saw Clarke uncertainly enter the rink. She looked like an angel, slowly, too slowly, gliding on the ice towards her on shaky legs, like a vision, with her blonde hair shining in the sunlight, and her blue eyes so bright and sharp that she could have died just by looking into them. The angel came to a stop in front of her, and suddenly Lexa couldn't think.

   She just stared, enraptured.

   "Hi." the angel whispered.

   Lexa swallowed the lump in her throat. "Hi."

   Clarke exhaled slowly, her eyebrows furrowed and her teeth pulling at her bottom lip, driving her crazy. "I'm an idiot." the blonde whispered then, blinking rapidly. "I'm an idiot and I'm so, so sorry that I hurt you."

   Lexa stood there unmoving for a second, then shook her head, confused. "What... what are you apologizing for?"

   The other girl rubbed her nose. "For everything... in these last few months, I kept sending you mixed signals and then after... after we... kissed, I just started giving you the cold shower, without even explaining, and I just... I'm..."

   Lexa watched as she sighed deeply, blinking away the tears that were welling up in her eyes, and shook her head, more firmly this time. "Don't be." she murmured. "Don't be sorry Clarke, it's ok."

   "No, it's not."

   "Clarke-"

   "I'm scared, ok?!"

   They fell silent, the people all around them skating peacefully, completely ignoring the pair. After a few seconds, Lexa looked her in the eyes and nodded. "Ok. What are you scared of?"

   Clarke swallowed, almost painfully. "To love and lose again." she said, quietly. "I don't think I could handle that again."

   Those words sent Lexa's heart into a frenzy, it started hammering wildly against her ribcage like a goddamned wardrum. Love. Clarke had said love.

   "Clarke..." she could only say, in a quiet whisper, too scared to broke the spell if she talked too loudly.

   The woman nodded, lifting her head to meet her green eyes. "Yes. I... I'm scared to let go completely, and to get hurt again. I'm scared of rejection, of losing myself, of pushing people away, of messing things up, I'm scared of so many things, Lexa." she sighed again, sliding a little closer. "But I'm scared of losing _you_ , more that anything."

   Lexa heart exploded and recomposed itself only to start beating faster and faster in her chest again. Was Clarke saying what she thought she was saying?

   "Clarke... what are you saying?" she asked in a small, fearful voice that still manages to convey so much hope and longing.

   Clarke smiled sweetly, lifting a hand to cup her rosy cheek. "I'm saying, that I trust you not to hurt me."

   "I would never."

   "And that I don't want to ever lose you."

   "I'll be with you until you send me away."

   "And that, if you want, you can have me for as long as you wish."

   "Don't ever leave me, then."

   They both smiled at each other, wide, beautiful, happy smiles that were reserved only for themselves. With the utmost care, Lexa sneaked her arms around Clarke's waist and tugged her closer, while the blonde's free hand tangled in her dark hair.

   Blue eyes never left green ones, and their next words were uttered in sweet whispers:

   "I love you."

   Less than a second later, their lips joined for the second time. It felt all the same as the first one, buy they were sober and could fully appreciate the magnificent sensation of each other's lips. That unic taste, the trembling in their hands and the shaky breaths, the feeling of jelly in her legs and the smiles that were making it almost impossible to keep going. The incredible force of their emotions, that raised like waves inside of them to be conveyed with such intensity in their kisses.

   When they separated to get some air, they didn't notice the beautiful Valentine's decorations, the small snowflakes slowly and gently falling from the sky, the sweet music that was meant to create the perfect, romantic atmosphere.

   They only saw each other.

   And they were home.

***

   In the bar right in front of the ice rink, their group of friends was reunited to witness the whole scene. They had decided to ditch the two in favor of a hot chocolate and a possibility of them two making up.

   From across the street, they all stared at them slowly getting close, talking. After a while, it started snowing. The lights and the music and everything were creating the perfect background for the couple, and they all cheered loudly when they saw the two kiss sweetly on the ice. After a while, they started skating.

   They looked perfect together. Gliding on the ice side by side, smiling widely and laughing and holding hands and staring at each other like they had personally created everything that's good in the world.

   Smiling, the group lifted their hot chocolates with a toast. "To love."

   After a minute, Raven’s voice raised higher: "Time to use the pic I got in that cinema."

   Their laughter could be heard from outside the bar.

 

    _VII - Epilogue_

   It was October again. The apartment was still small, but not too small. Finn was two years old now, sleeping on the couch with his head on Jason's paws.

   Instead of a single cupcake, her friends had made a cake. Instead of a single candle, there were 26. Instead of seeing her through FaceTime, Abby was right here with her, Marcus in tow. All her friends were right there with her, for her birthday.

   And of course, Lexa was too. She was always there. Since they had become a couple, all those months ago, their bond had only gotten stronger. They were so in love that sometimes it almost hurt, when one of them smiled or laughed and the other was left wandering how, how was it possible to be so lucky.

   If her last birthday had been lonely and tinged with sadness, this one was happy, full of love and laughter and absolutely careless. Karen had gotten Raven to keep her out of the house all day, while she, Bellamy and Murphy helped Lexa to set the apartment and prepare the cake. When finally they had let her into her own flat, she had found it crowded and ready for a party.

   "Clarke, this is for you." Karen said with a wide smile, offering her a small envelope.

   The blonde thanked her and opened it. She gasped, her eyes wide when she saw what the present was. "Oh my God, two tickets for the Philippines?! How did you know?"

   The girl chuckled. "I heard you two making plans to go there for the holidays, and I thought: 'why not?'"

   Lexa snorted, her arm around Clarke's shoulders tightening a little. "So you've been spying on us. I see." she joked.

   Everyone laughed. And they kept laughing until nightfall, when they all started leaving to go to sleep. The last one sto leave were Marus and Abby, that hugged the both of them - she adored Lexa, obviously - and made them promise to meet them up for lunch in a few days. Once the door was closed, they both fell on the couch near their two furry friends, that were still asleep and cuddled up against each other.

   Lexa tugged her girlfriend on her own lap, softly kissing her lips, and then asked: "What's on your mind, love?"

   Clarke smiled, happiness flooding in her veins like a drug. "I was just thinking about something I wished for during my last birthday." she murmured.

    _I wish to never spend another birthday alone._

   The brunette kissed her again and shook her head. "Don't tell me then. Otherwise, it won't come true."

   Looking in her green, loving eyes, Clarke was sure of this. She was never, ever going to live a day without this woman. She was going to spend her life with her, until her last breath. And she was _so_ ok with that.

   She kissed her softly, gently caressing her cheek with a hand. When they separated, she bumped her nose with hers, smiling.

   "It already has."

***

   "Soo, I was thinking." Raven said, hugging Karen from behind and gently kissing her neck. "What would you say if I asked you to come live with me?"

   The other girl froze for a second, the slowly turned in her arms and stared at her in the eyes. "What?"

   "Move in with me, babe."

   "I'd have to leave Lexa alone... she'd have to pay all the rent by herself." she said, wanting so badly to go, but not wanting to leave her best friend struggling.

   Raven raised an eyebrow. "Not if Clarke helps her."

   Karen caught up immediately with her girlfriend's mind. "You want them to... go live together?"

   "Yes but it has to seem like it's their own idea, ok? The gang will help us."

   Karen chuckled, sneaking her arms around the girl's neck. "One last plan, then?"

   Raven smirked. "One last plan."


End file.
